Written Answers Friday 7 March 2008

Scottish Executive

Children and Young People

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guarantees it can give that 125 secure places for young people will be available for 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Fergus Ewing: It is the joint responsibility of local authorities and Scottish Government, as the purchasers of secure accommodation, to ensure sufficient places to meet the needs of young people in Scotland. The government will continue to work closely and imaginatively with providers and local authorities to ensure that this first class accommodation continues to be put to good use, in improving the outcomes of young people and their communities.

Children and Young People

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is in respect of the implementation of obesity-management programmes for children and young people.

Shona Robison: Information on current locally managed programmes is not held centrally.

  A new NHS "HEAT" target has been set by which NHS boards will be expected to deliver Scottish Government approved healthy weight intervention programmes to a specified proportion of children aged 7 to 13 years defined as overweight (includes obese) over the period 2008-11. NHS Health Scotland is currently drawing up guidance for health boards on the core requirements from these intervention programmes. This guidance and funding contributing to the delivery of these programmes will be made available to health boards at the start of the new financial year.

  The Scottish Government are currently delivering a wide range of initiatives contributing to children achieving and maintaining a healthy weight through the Scottish Diet Action Plan and our national Physical Activity Strategy. These are supported by the on-going implementation of the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) Act.

Concessionary Travel

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make arrangements to allow cross-border use of free bus travel passes for pensioners.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what provisions it will make to enable free cross-border travel for pensioners.

Stewart Stevenson: We have no current plans to extend the Scotland-wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People which already provides free bus travel for eligible Scottish residents to and from Berwick-upon-Tweed and Carlisle.

Concessionary Travel

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what provisions it will make to enable free cross-border travel for pensioners travelling to Borders General Hospital.

Stewart Stevenson: We have no current plans to make such provision.

Diabetes

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-9255 by Shona Robison on 19 February 2008, what steps NHS boards are taking to ensure that diabetic patients on rosiglitazone who suffer from ischaemic heart disease or peripheral arterial disease are no longer prescribed this medicine, as it is no longer recommended by the European Medicines Agency for these patients.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9255 on 19 February 2008. Health care professionals were informed about the advice from the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use in the February 2008 edition of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Drug Safety Update bulletin. This information can be accessed at:

  www.mhra.gov.uk.

  In addition, product information for rosiglitazone has been updated to include the new advice. Medicines should be prescribed by clinicians taking account of the approved advice provided in the Summary of Product Characteristics which provides full information about the product, including its side effects and its use.

  NHS boards can reinforce this advice through a variety of methods. These may include articles in prescribing newsletters and information included in local formularies.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Education

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8570 by Fiona Hyslop on 24 January 2008, when it expects to be able to provide the detailed cost calculations for the Kerelaw Independent Inquiry.

Adam Ingram: Further to Ms Hyslop’s answer to question S3W-8570. I expect to be able to provide the detailed cost calculations within the next month.

Fatal Accident Inquiries

Nigel Don (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the system of fatal accident inquiries in Scotland.

Kenny MacAskill: I am pleased to announce that, after consultation with and the agreement of the Lord Advocate, I am instigating a review of the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiry (Scotland) Act 1976.

  The review will have the following remit:

  "To review the operation of the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiries (Scotland) Act 1976, which governs the system of judicial investigation of sudden or unexpected deaths in Scotland, so as to ensure that Scotland has an effective and practical system of public inquiry into deaths which is fit for the 21st century."

  Ministers are delighted that Lord Cullen of Whitekirk has agreed to lead the review and the intention is that it will begin once detailed arrangements for support for Lord Cullen have been resolved. It is hoped that it will be possible to conclude the review in or around one year from finalisation of these detailed arrangements.

Fisheries

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8816 by Richard Lochhead on 1 February 2008, whether the consultation period on the implementation in April 2008 of administrative penalties for illegal fishing activities and other matters closed on 1 February 2008, while an identical consultation continues in England and Wales.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government held a standard 12 week consultation on the introduction of administrative penalties. This was launched on 8 November 2007 and closed on 1 February 2008 although late responses were accepted and included in the analysis. In England and Wales the consultation on administrative penalties ran from 12 November 2007 to 15 February 2008.

Health and Safety

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has reviewed the protocol, signed by the Health and Safety Executive and Scottish police forces in 2005, whereby all deaths at work are treated as potential homicides.

Right Hon Elish Angiolini QC: A Protocol for Liaison on Work Related Deaths between the Health and Safety Executive, Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, the British Transport Police and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service was published in October 2006. It emphasises the need for a collaborative approach to the investigation of work-related deaths in Scotland, in order to ensure on-going high-standards of public safety and to assist in any possible prosecution.

  It is not the case that all work related deaths are treated as potential homicides. Rather, all work related deaths are treated as potential criminal offences. The protocol formalises the arrangements for the initial investigation of all work related deaths, allowing the Procurator Fiscal to decide whether a serious criminal offence, other than a health and safety offence, may have been committed and parties to agree whether the police, the HSE, or other enforcing authority should assume primacy for the investigation.

  The protocol is kept constantly under review. The operation of the protocol is considered by representatives from all signatories at an annual National Liaison Committee meeting and quarterly by a Joint Working Group.

Languages

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the proposed £9 million funding from 2008-09 to 2010-11 will be available to Scottish Borders Council for providing courses on English as a foreign language.

Fiona Hyslop: Discussions on the allocation of the £9 million for English for Speakers of Other Languages are currently underway with key stakeholders. A decision is expected shortly.

Listed Buildings

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make recommendations to Her Majesty’s Government regarding an exemption in VAT rates for the renovation of listed buildings.

Linda Fabiani: The setting of rates of VAT is a reserved matter, but the government is aware of concerns around these particular VAT rules and will continue to bring them to the attention of the UK Government.

Local Government

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it has made in its outcome agreements with local authorities to ensure that impact assessments are carried out prior to any substantial increases being made in charges for services and what its position is on increases in the cost of community alarms provided for vulnerable senior citizens most at risk of falling.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the decision by Fife Council to increase care charges to £11 per hour.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the decision by Fife Council to increase charges for home shopping delivery to £7 per week.

Shona Robison: The issue of charging for non-personal domiciliary services is addressed in legislation. Under section 87 (1A) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 a local authority may charge for certain adult non-residential and domiciliary services it provides. It is for local authorities to decide their charging policies for these non-personal care services, in keeping with local accountability. However, the legislation requires that any charges levied must be reasonable and should not be more than appears to be reasonably practicable for the recipient to pay, taking account of his or her other financial commitments. Guidance issued by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in January 2006 recommends a consistent framework for charging and encourages councils to demonstrate that they are following best practice.

Mental Health

Bashir Ahmad (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address specific issues surrounding mental health in the black and minority ethnic community.

Shona Robison: NHS Scotland’s Fair For All programme aims to ensure that everyone in Scotland has access to the right health services: local services that are patient-focused and flexible. The Better Health, Better Care Action Plan consolidates this approach. Both are underpinned by legislation requiring us to monitor all policies for their impact on people of different racial groups.

  The National Resource Centre for Ethnic Minority Health (NRCEMH) leads on implementing the Fair For All programme in respect of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups. We are funding NRCEMH’s Race Equality and BME Communities in Scotland programme for 2008-11, which will work with partners to transform the design and delivery of mental health services for BME groups.

  As part of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Anti-Stigma Partnership work, the national anti-stigma campaign See me published Mosaics of Meaning last year, which addressed stigma and discrimination surrounding mental ill-health in Glasgow’s BME communities. See me are now working with community groups in Glasgow – including faith leaders – and partners such as NRCEMH, to raise awareness of mental health issues and to counter the stigma which can be associated with mental ill-health.

  We are currently consulting on the future of mental health improvement. The discussion paper Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland sets out proposed actions for discussion on what local authorities, health boards and other key stakeholders can do to support this agenda, with a particular focus on tackling inequalities: target groups could include people who may not be reached by traditional health care or health improvement approaches. The following organisations have been consulted as part of this process: Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations; Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure in Scotland; National Resource for Ethnic Minority Health; Saheliya, and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations – Race Equality Development Unit. The consultation will inform a mental health improvement action plan.

NHS Waiting Times

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times were for young people to access the first consultation for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the most recent year for which figures are available, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: While we do not gather this particular information centrally we are investing significant attention on child and adolescent mental health services and training toward improved performance, care and better outcomes for those in need.

  Our focus with partners includes investment in training for those new to child and adolescent mental health; a Leadership pilot initiative; £100,000 of new investment each year over five years in psychotherapy training, which will cover attention on the important Family Therapy dimension, and we are supporting a Child and Adolescent Cognitive Behaviour Therapy training course.

  Combined with other on-going attention these initiatives are designed to equip clinicians and other staff better in the identification, treatment and recovery of young people with mental health problems.

  Our on-going visits and meetings with local partners includes attention on progress with developing improved child and adolescent mental health community services in order to implement our Framework for Promotion, Prevention and Care. Our recent focus has been on the infrastructure needed to support transitions of young people from hospital back to the community and importantly to prevent inappropriate admissions. The aim is to treat young people at home wherever possible.

  We continue to support all partners in providing services through change processes; addressing service standards; training, and by encouraging workforce and strategic planning.

Oil and Gas Industry

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether an appropriate assessment was carried out in relation to the 23rd Oil and Gas Licensing Round Block 17/7 (North Sea, Northern Area).

Richard Lochhead: The regulation of oil and gas exploration is a is a function reserved to the Secretary of State.

  I understand from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform that an Appropriate Assessment was not undertaken for Block 17/7 before it was licensed in December 2005. The work programme for Block 17/7 was only to purchase existing seismic survey data. No offshore activities were proposed or undertaken under the licence and therefore no appropriate assessment was required.

  The Department of Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform announced on 25 February 2008 that they are currently withholding all other blocks, including 17/3 in the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation from the 25th Offshore Licensing Round.

Oil and Gas Industry

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice ministers received from Scottish Natural Heritage in relation to the 23rd Oil and Gas Licensing Round Block 17/7 (North Sea, Northern Area).

Richard Lochhead: The regulation of oil and gas exploration is a function reserved to the Secretary of State.

  I understand that Scottish Natural Heritage were consulted on the Strategic Environmental Assessment for the wider 23rd Oil and Gas Licensing Round, and subsequently provided comments to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform as part of the consultation process.

Older People

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to National Care Standards: Care Homes for Older People , part 5, section 11, what guidance it has issued to the Care Commission regarding the specific support that should be given to care home residents who have had to be restrained.

Shona Robison: The National Care Standards for care homes for older people require care home providers to have policies and procedures in place on the conditions under which restraint may be used. The commission provides guidance for its staff to assist them in assessing whether the policies and procedures covering restraint in care homes are appropriate.

  Details about this guidance can be obtained from the Care Commission at:

  The Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care Compass House 11 Riverside Drive DUNDEE DD1 4NY T: 01382 207100 E: Enquiries@carecommission.com.

Prescriptions

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all women and children suffering from total hair loss will have the right to real hair wigs free of charge by the time that free prescriptions are introduced.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is taking forward the implementation of the recommendations of the Supply of Wigs Investigation Group Scotland (SWIGS) including the provision of human hair wigs, where appropriate. The reduction in charges for wigs is being taken forward in parallel with the phased reduction in prescription charges for other items. This will include the provision of human hair wigs, where prescribed on the basis of clinical need. The new charges for 2008-09, to take effect from 1 April 2008, will be set out in the guidance accompanying the new NHS (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Scotland) Regulations 2008.

Sport

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the SNP’s priority of free access to council swimming pools, as referred to on its website, is also a priority of the Scottish Government.

Stewart Maxwell: Yes, I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-6557 on 3 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Supporting People

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority received from the Supporting People Grant in each year of the 2004 spending review.

Stewart Maxwell: The 2004 spending review covered the period 2005-08. During this period local authorities received the Supporting People allocations detailed below.

  The "Pipeline" funding referred to in the table was revenue funding for new capital projects originally scheduled for completion in 2003-04 where the completion date slipped so funding was rolled forward and added to the Supporting People grant allocations previously announced.

  The Scottish Government has allowed councils to carry forward any unspent Supporting People grant since 2003-04. Councils can also transfer any under spent Supporting People grant into 2008-09.

  

 Local Authority
2005-06 Original Allocations
"Pipeline" Carry Forward
2005-06 Final Allocations
2006-07 Final Allocations
2007-08 Final Allocations


£000
£000
£000
£000
£000


 Aberdeen City
 12,306
 45
 12,351
 11,881
 11,882


 Aberdeenshire
 9,375
 415
 9,790
 9,440
 9,707


 Angus
 6,404
 45
 6449
 6,460
 6,688


 Argyll and Bute
 13,782
 0
 13,782
 13,261
 12,222


 Clackmannanshire
 3,093
 0
 3093
 3,242
 3,851


 Dumfries and Galloway
 13,948
 352
 14,300
 13,420
 12,368


 Dundee City
 11,672
 43
 11,715
 11,748
 12,055


 East Ayrshire
 6,184
 0
 6,184
 6,464
 7,609


 East Dunbartonshire
 5,438
 259
 5,697
 5,237
 5,238


 East Lothian
 8,663
 139
 8,802
 8,336
 7,683


 East Renfrewshire
 5,789
 54
 5,843
 5,570
 5,134


 Edinburgh, City of
 41,343
 29
 41,372
 39,778
 36,661


 Eilean Siar
 484
 97
 581
 585
 593


 Falkirk
 8,275
 15
 8,290
 8,439
 9,109


 Fife
 26,207
 177
 26,384
 24,560
 24,561


 Glasgow City
 71,765
 3,689
 75,454
 73,159
 78,852


 Highland
 12,849
 251
 13,100
 11,728
 11,728


 Inverclyde
 7,979
 172
 8,151
 7,684
 7,685


 Midlothian
 5,616
 12
 5,628
 5,404
 4,981


 Moray
 6,401
 0
 6,401
 6,159
 5,677


 North Ayrshire
 13,602
 78
 13,680
 12,242
 12,066


 North Lanarkshire
 24,845
 0
 24,845
 25,045
 25,862


 Orkney Islands
 357
 0
 357
 422
 689


 Perth and Kinross
 6,226
 60
 6,286
 6,395
 7,086


 Renfrewshire
 16,971
 4,005
 20,976
 16,329
 15,049


 Scottish Borders
 5,956
 0
 5,956
 5,750
 5,751


 Shetland Islands
 788
 0
 788
 815
 926


 South Ayrshire
 8,172
 540
 8,712
 7,975
 7,975


 South Lanarkshire
 23,189
 842
 24,031
 22,333
 22,333


 Stirling
 3,800
 188
 3,988
 3,966
 4,649


 West Dunbartonshire
 16,187
 166
 16,353
 15,575
 14,355


 West Lothian
 9,761
 423
 10,184
 9,783
 9,871


 Scotland
 407,427
 12,096
 419,523
 399,185
 400,896

Traffic

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5588 by Michael Russell on 31 October 2007, whether members of the public or MSPs can access the noise maps referred to and, if so, how this may be done.

Michael Russell: Yes. One of the requirements of the EC Environmental Noise Directive is that all noise maps produced must be made available to the public. The maps together with other related information can be found at www.scottishnoisemapping.org .

Water Charges

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what further consideration it has given to extending the exemption from water charges for churches and other voluntary organisations beyond 2010.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is consulting on the future of the small organisation water charges exemption scheme as part of its consultation on the wider Principles of Charging for 2010-14. This closes on 29 February 2008.

  We will consider in light of all responses to that consultation what future form if any the exemption scheme will take.